Former Indiana wide receiver and NFL Network broadcaster Rhett Lewis is stepping down from his color analyst post on IU football radio broadcasts after two seasons.
Indiana has not yet announced a replacement to join legendary play-by-play man Don Fischer, who is set to enter his 52nd season on the microphone.
This season Lewis will be an on-field reporter for the Big Ten Network, the network said in a release.
Mixed emotions leaving my post as color analyst for @IndianaFootball Radio, but couldn’t be more excited to join some top-notch humans and incredibly talented broadcasters @GuyHaberman & @YogiRoth on a @BigTenNetwork broadcast crew this fall! pic.twitter.com/42ou7RaUIJ
— Rhett Lewis (@RhettNFL) July 24, 2024
Lewis replaced Buck Suhr, who announced his retirement following the 2021 season.
Lewis uses his middle name as his last name now. He played at IU as Rhett Kleinschmidt. He was a kick holder and a reserve receiver for the Hoosiers from 2001 to 2005 while earning a sports communication degree. One of his best games came against Michigan, when he set career-highs for catches (two) and yards (28).
Lewis has a long family history with IU. His father, Dean Kleinschmidt, served as Indiana’s head football trainer from 2004-06. Dean was a head trainer in the NFL for 41 seasons – 31 with the New Orleans Saints, two with the Washington Redskins, and eight with the Detroit Lions. Dean also was a student trainer during IU’s 1967 Big Ten-title winning season that culminated in the 1968 Rose Bowl.
A 1970 IU graduate, Dean is in the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame and the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.
Indiana opens the 2024 season on August 31 against Florida International.
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